GOP Senate contenders aren’t shy about wanting Trump’s approval. But in Pennsylvania, it’s awkward
HARRISBURG — Since he became the single biggest force in Republican politics nearly a decade ago, Donald Trump has figured prominently in U.S. Senate races, using his massive public platform and loyal base of support to shape which GOP incumbents run for reelection and which contenders get nominated. This year,...
Israel orders new evacuations in northern Gaza, where UN says 1 in 6 children are malnourished
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israel ordered new evacuations from parts of Gaza City on Tuesday, as a study led by the U.N. children’s agency found that one in six children are acutely malnourished in the isolated and largely devastated north of the territory, where the city is located. The report...
Harvison Road bridge in Penn Township slated for summer removal
A bridge carrying Harvison Road over the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County’s Penn Township will be removed this summer, according to the turnpike commission. The commission announced in 2021 that it would remove the bridge as part of a $300 million-plus project to widen the toll highway between the Monroeville...
Astronomers find what may be the universe’s brightest object with a black hole devouring a sun a day
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Astronomers have discovered what may be the brightest object in the universe, a quasar with a black hole at its heart growing so fast that it swallows the equivalent of a sun a day. The record-breaking quasar shines 500 trillion times brighter than our sun. The...
Minnesota man who shot 2 officers and a firefighter wasn’t allowed to have gunsVideo
A man who died after fatally shooting two police officers and a firefighter in a wooded Minneapolis-area neighborhood wasn’t legally allowed to have guns after a previous assault conviction and was entangled in a yearslong dispute over the custody and financial support of his three oldest children, court records show....
Probe of illegal drugs delivered by drone at West Virginia prison nets 11 arrests
WELCH, W.Va. — Eleven suspects have been arrested in an investigation into illegal drugs allegedly delivered by drones into a federal prison in southern West Virginia. Another man under investigation who fled officers was later found dead, authorities said. McDowell County Sheriff James Muncy said his office was contacted in...
Wet winter storm hits California, closing regional airport and trapping people in swollen riversVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — Another wet winter storm swamped California with heavy rainfall on Monday, flooding the runways at a regional airport and leading to several rescues on swollen rivers and creeks. The Santa Barbara airport, on the state’s central coast, closed Monday after as much as 10 inches of rain...
Waffle House shooting in Indianapolis leaves 1 dead, 5 injured, police say
INDIANAPOLIS — One woman was killed and five other people were wounded when an argument escalated to gunfire at a Waffle House restaurant in Indianapolis early Monday, police said. Officers responded to a report of a shooting at the restaurant around 12:30 a.m., the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in...
Defense: Suspended judge didn’t shoot estranged boyfriend, is innocent of attempted murder, assault
HARRISBURG — The attorney representing a suspended magistrate judge in Pennsylvania says his client is not guilty of allegations that she shot her estranged boyfriend in the head as he slept earlier this month. Magisterial District Judge Sonya McKnight, 57, was charged last week in Dauphin County with attempted murder...
In post about dead Russian opposition leader Navalny, Trump talks of his own legal problems
NEW YORK — More than 72 hours after Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny ‘s death in an Arctic penal colony, former President Donald Trump mentioned him by name for the first time in a post on his social media site that focused not on Navalny, but his own legal woes....
Suspect arrested on murder charges in deaths of 2 people in a Colorado college dorm
DENVER — A suspect was arrested Monday on murder charges over the shootings of two people who were found dead in a dorm room last week at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, police said. The Colorado Springs Police Department said they arrested Nicholas Jordan, 25, without incident on two counts...
What Shapiro’s budget pitch could do for Pa.’s rural communities
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. BELLEFONTE — As the populations of Pennsylvania’s rural counties shrink, officials hope future state spending can help slow projected losses by making investments that attract...
FAFSA delays prompt Pa. state-owned universities to extend enrollment deadlines
Pennsylvania’s 10 state-owned universities are extending the deadline for thousands of prospective new students to review financial aid offers and decide whether to enroll for fall. The move is intended to mitigate delays being experienced nationwide with the U.S. Department of Education’s revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known...
Gaza Health Ministry says over 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel-Hamas war
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israel’s assault in Gaza has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, the territory’s Health Ministry said Monday, marking another grim milestone in one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the...
Stalled U.S. aid for Ukraine underscores GOP’s shift away from confronting Russia
At about 2 a.m. last Tuesday, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin stood on the Senate floor and explained why he opposed sending more aid to help Ukraine fend off the invasion launched in 2022 by Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I don’t like this reality,” Johnson said. “Vladimir Putin is...
Wisconsin’s Democratic governor signs his new legislative maps into law after Republicans pass them
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed new legislative district maps into law on Monday that he proposed and that the Republicans who control the Legislature passed to avoid having the liberal-controlled state Supreme Court draw the lines. Democrats hailed the signing as a major political victory in...
Waffle House shooting in Indianapolis leaves 1 dead, 5 injured, police say
INDIANAPOLIS — A shooting at a Waffle House restaurant in Indianapolis early Monday morning killed a woman and wounded five other victims, police said. Officers responded to a report of a shooting at the restaurant on Lynhurst Drive around 12:30 a.m., the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement....
Students and parents are frustrated by delays in hearing about federal financial aid for college
NEW YORK — For many students, the excitement of being accepted into their first-choice college is being tempered this year by a troublesome uncertainty over whether they’ll get the financial aid they need to attend. The financial aid decisions that usually go out with acceptance letters are being delayed because...
Palestinian diplomat accuses Israel of apartheid and asks UN court to declare its occupation illegal
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Palestinian foreign minister on Monday accused Israel of apartheid and urged the United Nations’ top court to declare that Israel’s occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state is illegal and must end immediately and unconditionally for any hope for a two-state future to survive....
Navalny’s widow vows to continue his fight against Kremlin, punish Putin
The widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny vowed on Monday to continue his fight against the Kremlin while authorities denied his mother access to a morgue where his body is believed to be held after his death last week at an Arctic penal colony. Fighting back tears, Yulia Navalnaya...
EU launches non-military mission to protect cargo ships in Red Sea from Houthi attacks
BRUSSELS — The European Union launched a naval mission Monday to help protect cargo ships in the Red Sea as attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen continue to threaten maritime traffic, hamper trade and drive up prices. Dubbed Aspides, Greek for “shield,” the mission will be run out of Larissa...
Strike at the Eiffel Tower closes 1 of the world’s most popular monuments to visitors
PARIS — Visitors to the Eiffel Tower were turned away on Monday because of a strike over poor financial management at one of the world’s most-visited sites. A sign was posted at the entrance in English, saying, “Due to strike, the Eiffel Tower is closed. We apologize.” The hugely popular...
American man admits to attacking 2 U.S. tourists, killing 1 near a famous German castle
BERLIN — An American man on Monday admitted to charges of murder and rape after he allegedly pushed two U.S. women down a ravine, fatally injuring one of them near Germany’s Neuschwanstein castle last year. The 31-year-old defendant admitted to the charges during the start of his trial, the German...
A bullet on note in IUP classroom causes angst and reflects reality of college life
The handwritten note found in a classroom on the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus seemed harmless at first: “Hello student. Hope you have a good day!” But it ended cryptically with the initials “JK,” “lol” and an acronym for foul language. Then came something more ominous: A bullet was placed...
Penn State dance marathon raises $17 million, beats record by $2 million
Their voices are likely shot, their ankles probably sore and they definitely could use some sleep. But the 700-plus dancers — and thousands more who participated in this year’s Penn State University IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon — know they made history, raising almost $17 million in the fight against childhood cancer,...
